Apparatus for and method of disinfecting hands
First Claim
1. An apparatus for disinfecting a user'"'"'s hands, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing defining a spray zone, the spray zone being substantially open at the front thereof to enable a user to insert both hands and to manipulate both hands within the spray zone without contacting the housing, the housing including a collection portion for collecting excess spray from the spray zone;
a spray means comprising a plurality of spray nozzles mounted on the housing and directed rearwardly away from the front of the spray zone, for generating a spray of a liquid within the spray chamber and mounted on the drum;
a supply means for supplying a liquid to the spray means;
a valve means connected between the supply means and the spray means for controlling supply of the cleaning liquid;
a sensor means mounted on the spray chamber, for sensing the presence of a user'"'"'s hands within the spray chamber; and
a control circuit including a first timer and connected to the sensor means and the valve means, the control circuit being adapted to open the valve means to supply the liquid to the spray means when the sensor means detects the presence of a user'"'"'s hands and maintaining the valve means open for a period determined by the first timer wherein the spray means is dimensioned and the first timer sets said period such that the total volume of liquid sprayed onto a user'"'"'s hands is in the range of 3 to 5 cc.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for disinfecting a user'"'"'s hands has a spray chamber or an open spray zone with an opening for a user to insert his or her hands into the chamber. A supply of a disinfecting solution is provided, and preferably comprises a storage tank with a concentrated solution. This solution is mixed with an incoming freshwater supply, e.g. in a venturi valve, and supplied through spray nozzles into the chamber. A sensor detects the presence of a user'"'"'s hands and automatically operates the spray nozzles for a predetermined time. The apparatus can also include a fan with its own timer, to provide a supply of drying air. Thus, a user can insert his or her hands, disinfect them with the disinfecting solution, remove the hands and dry them, without requiring any manual operation.
114 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for disinfecting a user'"'"'s hands, the apparatus comprising:
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a housing defining a spray zone, the spray zone being substantially open at the front thereof to enable a user to insert both hands and to manipulate both hands within the spray zone without contacting the housing, the housing including a collection portion for collecting excess spray from the spray zone;
a spray means comprising a plurality of spray nozzles mounted on the housing and directed rearwardly away from the front of the spray zone, for generating a spray of a liquid within the spray chamber and mounted on the drum;
a supply means for supplying a liquid to the spray means;
a valve means connected between the supply means and the spray means for controlling supply of the cleaning liquid;
a sensor means mounted on the spray chamber, for sensing the presence of a user'"'"'s hands within the spray chamber; and
a control circuit including a first timer and connected to the sensor means and the valve means, the control circuit being adapted to open the valve means to supply the liquid to the spray means when the sensor means detects the presence of a user'"'"'s hands and maintaining the valve means open for a period determined by the first timer wherein the spray means is dimensioned and the first timer sets said period such that the total volume of liquid sprayed onto a user'"'"'s hands is in the range of 3 to 5 cc. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
1.6-2% N-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride;
1.6-2% didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride;
0.2-0.4% lauramine oxide;
0.2-0.6% tetrasodium salt of EDTA;
4% glycerin; and
water, the amount of water forming the balance of the composition.
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18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprising an upper portion above the spray zone and a lower portion below the spray zone, wherein the spray zone is generally concave and extends rearwardly between the upper and lower portions, and wherein the lower portion provides the collection portion.
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19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the collection portion is generally trough-shaped and extends transversely and includes retaining means to prevent excess liquid spilling out of the collection portion.
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20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said retaining means comprises one of:
- lips at both ends of the trough-shaped collection portion; and
the lower-most portion of the collection portion being dish-shaped, and wherein an outlet drain is provided at the bottom of the collection portion to drain off excess liquid.
- lips at both ends of the trough-shaped collection portion; and
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21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, 19 or 20 wherein the spray zone has a generally uniform cross-section from one side of the apparatus to the other and is open at either side of the apparatus.
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22. An apparatus as claimed in claims 18, 19 or 20, which includes two lower spray nozzles mounted on the lower portion and directed upwardly and rearwardly, and at least one upper spray nozzle mounted on the upper portion and directed downwardly and rearwardly.
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23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the upper portion comprises a generally convexly-shaped wall, wherein the lower portion is defined by a lower convexly-shaped wall, and wherein a concavely-shaped wall extends between the upper and lower convexly-shaped walls, the collection portion comprising a lower-most portion of the concavely-shaped wall and at least part of the lower convexly-shaped wall.
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24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 23, which includes two nozzles mounted on the lower portion and directed rearwardly and upwardly and at least one nozzle mounted on the upper portion and directed downwardly and rearwardly.
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25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the concavely-shaped wall has a uniform curvature centered on an axis of curvature, wherein the spray nozzles are generally directed towards the axis of curvature, and wherein the two lower-most spray nozzles are directed inwardly.
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26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the housing includes generally planar side walls having forward edges shaped to correspond to the profiles of the upper and lower convexly-shaped wall and the concavely-shaped wall, and wherein the housing includes a planar top surface, a planar base and a generally planar rear surface.
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27. An apparatus for disinfecting a user'"'"'s hands, the apparatus comprising:
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a housing defining a spray zone, the spray zone being substantially open at the front thereof to enable a user to insert both hands and to manipulate both hands within the spray zone without contacting the housing, the housing including a collection portion for collecting excess spray from the spray zone;
a spray means comprising a plurality of spray nozzles mounted on the housing and directed rearwardly away from the front of the spray zone, for generating a spray of a liquid within the spray chamber and mounted on the drum;
a supply means for supplying a liquid to the spray means;
a valve means connected between the supply means and the spray means for controlling supply of the cleaning liquid;
a sensor means mounted on the spray chamber, for sensing the presence of a user'"'"'s hands within the spray chamber; and
a control circuit including a first timer and connected to the sensor means and the valve means, the control circuit being adapted to open the valve means to supply the liquid to the spray means when the sensor means detects the presence of a user'"'"'s hands and maintaining the valve means open for a period determined by the first timer, and wherein the first timer is set to supply liquid to the spray for a period in the range of 0.2 to 1.2 sec.
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28. An apparatus for disinfecting a user'"'"'s hands, the apparatus comprising:
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a spray zone having an axis and being disposed generally horizontally;
an elongate opening in the front of the spray chamber, and providing access from the exterior to the interior of the chamber, to enable a user to insert both hands into the interior of the chamber, without contacting a periphery of the opening, the opening being located above the axis of the spray chamber and inclined downwardly and rearwardly, to promote drainage of liquid back into the chamber;
a spray means comprising a plurality of spray nozzles directed into the spray chamber and rearwardly away from the opening;
a supply means for supplying a liquid to the spray means;
a valve means connected between the supply means and the spray means for controlling supply of the liquid;
a sensor means mounted on the spray chamber, for sensing the presence of a user'"'"'s hands within the spray chamber; and
a control circuit including a first timer and connected to the sensor means and the valve means, the control circuit opening the valve means to supply the liquid to the spray means when the sensor means detects the presence of a user'"'"'s hands and maintaining the valve means open for a period determined by the first timer;
wherein the period set by the first timer and the flow rate from the spray nozzles are such that the volume of liquid sprayed onto a user'"'"'s hands is in the range 3 to 5 cc. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification